Making It Legal:

“She Takes on the World” is not just a glowing compliment my husband gives about me (and, frankly, could pertain to many of you)–it’s the name of the award-winning blog by Natalie MacNeil, media producer, entrepreneur, former ambassador and Stevie Award finalist. Listen in as we cover why she felt a code of ethics was necessary for her growing business, and how she made the choice to take on a business partner for her new venture after years of solopreneurship.

If you’re an entrepreneur, startup CEO and small-business owner, you know how important your brand is to your success. That’s why I’m thrilled to be speaking at the upcoming Brand Reinvention Summit on October 1 and 2. It’s an interview series that you’ll be able to listen to online and learn about the greatness that comes from taking on the role of the Brand Agent/Provocateur in your business.

I’m going to be speaking about some of the legal risks involved in choosing and using a brand (both online and offline), and how you can avoid them. There are nine other fabulous speakers who will teach you how to revitalize, redirect and repackage your brand.

Here’s the surprising part: This telesummit is f*r*e*e, so make sure you visit blahtozingsummit.com to sign up now.

Yes, that’s the advice of most of the “success gurus.”  Figure out what you do well–and what you enjoy doing–and leave the rest to someone else.

Listen in to my conversation with Rosalie Lober, PhD., author of the newly-released Run Your Business Like a Fortune 100: 7 Principles for Boosting Profits. We cover:

• Rosalie’s case study of Terra Plantworks, which grew revenue from $3 million to $11 million in three years, by letting go of less-profitable business divisions–and how Terra came to that decision
• The importance of having a fully-integrated business
• Three key steps to doing your due diligence on any strategic alliance partner
• The top three problem areas for most strategic alliances (and, yes, how a written agreement can alleviate them)

“Why can’t I handle my own patent/trademark/copyright filings?” you ask.  “I’m getting started on a shoestring–do I really need to spend the legal fees?” Go right ahead and DIY . . . but if you’re not on target about what you’ve done or how thoroughly you’ve handled your background research, you could find that you’ve dumped a lot of money into IP that you simply can’t protect.

Listen in to my interview of Amy Goldsmith, Esq., an  intellectual property attorney and partner at Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, P.C. in New York City. Amy gives us the lowdown on:

• Why you can’t “patent” a company name (you trademark it)–and why it’s important to get the terminology straight
• What kinds of trademarks pass muster with the Trademark Office
• How a trademark search (done by professionals) will unearth possible obstacles you never dreamed of  . . .  and save you time, money and energy

If you want your intellectual property to become a valuable company asset, listen to this interview!

I was intrigued with what Robert Tuchman had to say about his experience with business partners–check out Chapter 5 (”The Partner Principle”) of Young Guns: The Fearless Entrepreneur’s Guide to Chasing Your Dreams and Breaking Out on Your Own. Especially as his is a success story. How rare is that? So I invited him back for a second interview to learn more. [For the first interview with Robert Tuchman, click here]

Listen in as Robert and I talk about how he chose his business partner, what traits he was looking for, how he tested the waters, and what made the relationship work. For more information about Robert and his book, visit YoungBusinessExecutives.com.

Ready to chase your dreams of being an entrepreneur? Yes, I mean you. Why not you?

Listen in to this lively and informative interview of Robert Tuchman, author of YOUNG GUNS: The Fearless Entrepreneur’s Guide to Chasing Your Dreams and Breaking Out on Your Own. Robert talks about why the theme of “why not you?” has to resonate powerfully for budding business owners. He shares war stories (mistakes), lessons learned and benefits gleaned from having a solid professional team behind him . . .  even from the get-go.

For more information about Robert and the book, visit his website at www.YoungBusinessExecutives.com.